WEDDING CEREMONY PLAN WORKSHEET AND ORDER OF CEREMONY Please complete the following worksheet and order of ceremony page. Return the completed forms (including this page) at least one week prior to our final meeting. . Bride’s Name: _____________________________________ Groom’s Name: ____________________________________ Address: ________________________________________

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Wedding Location: __________________________________ Wedding Date: ______________________Time:__________ Rehearsal Date: _____________________ Time:__________ Attire: ___________________________________________ Additional Notes: ___________________________________

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For Office Use Only  Copy given to Officiant  Copy given to Wedding Director  Copy mailed back to Bride/Groom

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Ceremony Plan Prelude The prelude is about 30 minutes before the wedding begins while the guests are arriving and being seated. The music played is usually instrumental background music. You can also have a musician playing music or bring CD’s of your own. For the prelude music, we will: ___ provide our own CD’s If you are using live music, do you have your musicians? ____Yes ____No How many live musicians will there be/what kind of instruments? _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________  Processional The processional marks the beginning of the ceremony when the bridal party enters. Your Wedding Director can help you with song suggestions if needed. Traditionally, the bridesmaids will enter alone, followed by the flower girl and ring bearer. The Minister, groom, and groomsmen will already have entered. For the processional music, we would like__________________________________ Will the bridesmaid enter alone or with the groomsmen?_____________________

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Greeting The Minister will welcome your guests in her own words and lead them in prayer. We would like the following to be included in the greeting: _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________  Presentation of the Bride Your choice of wedding music can be played during the entrance of the bride. Your wedding director can help you with song suggestions if needed. The bride may enter with her father, mother, both parents, another family member, or alone. 2

For the presentation of the bride, the music we would like is _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ The bride will enter with_______________________________________________  The Charge The Charge is the Minister’s encouragement to follow God’s blueprint for marriage. At this point, she will be speaking to the bride and groom in her own words. We would like the following thoughts/Bible passages to be included in the charge: _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________  Declarations (I do’s) Here is where the bride and groom respond to the Minister’s questions with vocal affirmation. You may choose your own words for your declarations or you may use the following suggested declaration: Spoken by the Minister to the groom, then the bride: “Will you, __________, take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?” Answer: “I will.” The names we would like used are__________________ and _________________ For the declarations, would you like to use the suggested format?___________________ If not, please attach the format you would like to use for the declarations.  Vows If writing your own vows, take care not to make them too long. A short paragraph is appropriate. It is also advisable not to try to memorize them. You can bring your vows on a small piece of paper with you or you can give it to the Minister before the ceremony to have on hand. If writing your own vows, please attach them.

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 Exchange of Rings The exchange of rings will be preceded with a blessing. We suggest the 3

following be recited by the bride and groom with the exchange of rings: ______, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you, my covenant to be your husband/wife and to honor and always be faithful to you. If writing your own recitation, please write here:_________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________  Special Ceremony This is your choice of an added ceremony Unity candle, Sand, Water etc.  Pronouncement of Marriage The following wording is suggested: Forasmuch as______ and ______ have given themselves to each other by the promises they have exchanged, before God and all of you that have gathered here as their witnesses. I now pronounce them husband and wife. Those who God has joined together, let no one separate. ________, you may kiss your bride.  Presentation of the Couple We would like to be introduced as: _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________  Recessional The recessional is after the kiss and the introduction of the newly married couple when the wedding party exits following the bride and groom. The music played here is usually very upbeat. Your wedding director should have suggestions for this music if needed. For the recessional music, we would like: __________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

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Postlude After the wedding party has exited, the postlude music is played while guests are being dismissed or are waiting for the receiving line. For the postlude music, we would like: ___________________________________ 4

_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ Options for consideration:  Readings Readings can include scriptures, poems, or other meaningful words for the couple. They can be read any time throughout the ceremony. Asking a loved one to do a reading is a good way to include someone special in your wedding ceremony. Following are some suggested scripture readings: Genesis 2:18-24 Psalms 90:17 Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Song of Solomon 8:6-7 Matthew 5:13-16 John 2:1

Ephesians 5:21-33 Colossians 3:12-17 1 John 4:7-12

We would like to include the following scripture readings: 1) _______________________________ read by______________________ 2) _______________________________ read by ______________________ Please attach any other readings to be included.

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Songs During your ceremony, you may wish to include a special songs to be sung by a vocalist. We recommend not more than 2-3 songs. We would like to include the following songs: 1) ___________________________________________________________ 2) ___________________________________________________________ 3) ___________________________________________________________ 4) ___________________________________________________________  Communion If you choose to take communion during your wedding ceremony, the Minister will say a few words to describe the act of communion to your guests. You will need to bring your own bread, juice, and dishes for communion. Would you like to take communion during your ceremony? ____________ Music: ____________________________________ CD_____ or Live_____  Unity Candle Special candles are used that have three candles. Usually, the two outside candles are lit before the ceremony begins, leaving the center candle untouched. The two burning candles symbolize the separate lives of the bride and groom. During the ceremony, the bride and groom each use an outside candle to light the center candle which 5

symbolizes the joining together of their lives around Christ. You will need to bring your own candles and/or candelabra. Would you like to include the unity candle in your ceremony? _________ Music: ____________________________________ CD_____ or Live_____

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Unity Sand Ceremony The Unity Sand Ceremony, a celebration that is usually two to three minutes in length, is a meaningful joining of two lives. In this timeless ritual of marriage, the couple ceremoniously pours different colors of sand from a container, such as a vase, bottle or seashell, into one special container. The flowing sand and blending of the colors symbolize the bringing together of two lives into one. Would you like to include the unity sand ceremony in your ceremony? _________ Music: ____________________________________ CD_____ or Live_____ Joining a Blended Family Sometimes we have different people joining together to form a family (for example a marriage where one adult has a child). To this end, during the ceremony, we have had some make commitments between the adults and children involved. NOTE**Some parents have chosen to present a special necklace or piece of jewelry to the child(ren) at this time as a reminder of the commitment made. PARENT: “I thank God for bringing you into my life. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support your dreams, to grow with you, to teach you and to learn with you. I am honored to be your father/mother.” CHILD(REN): I thank God that you are in my life. I promise to always play with you, to learn from you, and to treat you with respect. I will love you for the rest of my life. I am happy to be your son/daughter. Would you like to include the Blended Family Commitment ceremony? __________

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ORDER OF CEREMONY

After completing the Ceremony Plan Worksheet, please finalize your order of ceremony on this page.

__________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________  __________________________________________________________________

Regal Ceremonies

1516 Martin Ave. Chesapeake, VA 23324

757-685-6838

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